The evacuation agreement has been taking place in the villages of Al-Fo’a, Kafaria, Zabadani, Madaya since this morning. According to the agreement, civilians evacuate from the government-held villages of Al-Fo’a and Kafaria besieged by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the province of Idlib. In turn, militants and ther families are allowed to evacuate from Zabadani and Madaya in the Rif Dimashq province. The first phase was carried out successfully with the help of the Syrian Red Crescent.

Four children and eight women from Kufriya and Al-Fo’a and eight bodies of martyrs arrived the city of Aleppo. On the other hand, popular government forces from Kafraya and al-Faoua released 19 militants who had been captured during the previous clashes. 19 militants and a body of the dead militant arrived the city of Idlib.

Among the bodies handed over by militants in Idlib was a dead Hezbollah member, Hussein Faqih. His was set to be sent to Damascus and then for burial in Lebanon.

It is scheduled to follow up the rest of the agreement today after the arrival of 92 buses to Zabadani and Madaya to take out more than 3800 militants and members of their families to Idlib. At the same time some 8000 civilians from Fawa and Kafria villages will be able to leave the besieged villages and move to Aleppo.

This makes me think Syria probably will become a federation of at least three autonomous entities a kurdish one included. These type of agreements, which include large transfer of civilians, are a clear sign which points to that.

VGA

There is still a lot of fighting to be done though.

Douglas Houck

Idlib governorate is going to be tough and I have no idea how the Syrian government plans on dealing with it. I’m sure Syria, Russia and possibly the US (all the countries dropping bombs within Idlib) have a plan. With the current control by Al-Qaeda, I’m not sure you can leave them be. If you keep attacking them, since you can’t kill them all, where are those wanting out expected to go?

Can you kill the majority of the jihadist fighters? I don’t see them ever surrendering and becoming member of Syrian society. Most of them have already been asked that question. Without the removal of the jihadist fighters federalizing them won’t work as they will continue to attack the Syrian government and people. These people are committed to the revolution.

Ma_Laoshi

While I appreciate that pursuing this war one is constantly weighing bad choices, do the loyalists really need to send more fighting-age males to the Idlib pocket? Evacuating women and children is all fine; if the “opposition” fighters don’t want to surrender, you have full justification to kill them off. How much have previous evacuation agreements contributed to terrorist fighting strength behind their North Hama push?

VGA

Not all of these militants plan to risk their lives against government forces. Just because they are “rebels” and hold a gun doesn’t mean they will take part in any offensive. You think every militant wants to die because some HTS council decided so?

Just like many syrian conscripts and NDF members don’t really intend to fight and risk their lives, just retreating when under pressure.

Ma_Laoshi

No doubt these life-and-death decisions look easy only from behind a keyboard. But that is why amnesty is offered in exchange for surrender. If these evacuated goons are shooting at govt forces again in Hama/Idlib, it’s small comfort that many do so half-heartedly; the world would have been better off without them.